Alison Hanlon

University College Dublin, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty Member

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Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin. Partner of the European Union Reference Centre for Animal Welfare - Ruminants & Equines, designated in 2021. A member of two national committees: the National Committee for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes and the Irish Thoroughbred Welfare Council.

A central theme of my research is stakeholder attitudes towards animal welfare and stakeholder engagement in the development of policy in animal welfare. Current research topics include the management of acutely injured cattle, and risk assessment of tail biting. I am part of the CARE4DAIRY consortium - a pilot project funded by the European Commission to develop best practice guides on dairy calves, dairy heifers, dairy cows and end of career cows.

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Towards the development of day one competences in veterinary behaviour medicine: survey of veterinary professionals experience in companion animal practice in Ireland

by Olwen Golden and Alison Hanlon

Irish Veterinary Journal

Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curric... more Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curriculum because of its wide scope of applications to veterinary practice. Private practitioners are likely to be the primary source of information on animal behaviour for most pet owners, however studies indicate that behavioural issues are not frequently discussed during companion animal consultations and many practitioners lack confidence in dealing with behavioural problems, likely due to poor coverage of this subject in veterinary education. There is a need to identify learning outcomes to support day one competences in veterinary behaviour medicine and these should be informed by practice-based evidence. This study aimed to investigate the nature and frequency of behavioural queries experienced by veterinary professionals in Ireland, the provision of behavioural services at companion animal practices, behaviour referral practices and challenges associated with providing a behaviour service. Methods: Two online surveys were developed, one for private veterinary practitioners (PVP) and one for veterinary nurses (VN). Invitations to participate were distributed using contact details from the Premises Accreditation Scheme database on the Veterinary Council of Ireland website. Thirty-eight PVPs and 69 VNs completed the survey. Results: Results indicated that less than half of companion animal practices offer behavioural consults and under a third of practices provide training and socialization events. Over half of the practices surveyed have referred cases to a behavioural specialist. The majority of respondents encountered behavioural queries weekly. Ninety-eight percent reported receiving queries regarding dog behaviour. Toilet training and unruly behaviour were two issues encountered frequently. Behavioural issues in cats were also common. House soiling and destructive behaviour were the problems most frequently encountered by respondents. The two most commonly cited barriers to providing behavioural consultations were lack of in-house or personal expertise, and that clients were not willing to pay for these services. Furthermore over half of all veterinary professionals surveyed indicated that they had received inadequate undergraduate training in veterinary behaviour medicine.

Alison Hanlon

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